The invention relates generally to toy construction sets and more particularly to such construction sets in which the principal building components are comprised of a series of rods and connectors for joining with the rods. A highly popular form of such construction toy sets is marketed under the trademark xe2x80x9cK""NEXxe2x80x9d, by K""NEX Industries, Inc. Certain features of the K""NEX construction toy sets are reflected in earlier U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,061,219, 5,137,486, 5,199,919 and 5,350,331. The K""NEX construction toy sets, although first introduced relatively a few years ago, have become highly popular and commercially very successful. However, notwithstanding the many advantages and many attractive features of the K""NEX construction toys as presently marketed, a certain level of manual dexterity and finger strength is needed in order to take full advantage of the many features offered. This tends to limit the marketability of the existing construction toy sets to children who have developed a reasonable level of manual dexterity
The present invention is directed to a rod and connector toy construction set which, while incorporating many of the important advantageous features of the existing K""NEX construction toy, is specifically designed and optimized for children of somewhat younger age. To this end, the component elements of the construction toy set are so designed and constructed as to enable young children, with minimal manual dexterity and finger strength, to assemble and disassemble the components and to build various structures and assemblies therewith.
The rod and connector components of the new construction toy set are suitably sized to infant hands such that the individual component parts may be easily gripped and handled by children of ages, say, four and above. For the rod elements, for example, a rod diameter of about xe2x85x9c inch is suitable for gripping and manipulating with small hands. For an advantageous construction toy set of the type contemplated, such rods are provided in various lengths, ranging from around one inch to around nine inches. The principal rod elements of the new construction set are of generally circular cross sectional outline, having end portions and a central body portion of a generally uniform diameter. The end flanges and the central body portion are separated by neck portions of reduced diameter and predetermined length.
The construction set of the invention further includes connector elements arranged to receive and grip the rod elements in fixed orientations, to enable structures to be assembled. To advantage, the connectors include a hub, with one or more open-ended and open-sided rod-engaging sockets oriented radially with respect to the hub. In a typical construction set, connectors may be provided having as few as one or as many as eight such rod-engaging sockets. Where more than one socket is provided, they typically may be arranged at angular intervals of, for example, 45 degrees.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the connector elements are formed of a soft and pliant plastic material which is easily flexed in the area of the rod gripping sockets. The sockets extend completely through the connectors, from one side thereof to the other and are open at both sides. The sockets are formed with features for capturing and gripping the flanged ends and neck portions of the rod elements. The arrangement enables the rods to be installed by a lateral snap-in movement which results in the neck portion of the rod being gripped and held in axial alignment with the principal axis of the socket, by means of opposed, concave contours of rod gripping portions of the socket. The flanged end of the rod element is received in an enlarged portion of the socket to resist axial withdrawal of a rod from a socket in which it is installed. Because of the soft and pliant character of the connector elements, a small child can easily assemble parts to form a structure. Also, there is substantial resilience and flexing ability to the rod-to-connector joint to minimize the likelihood of injury resulting from a small child falling into an assembled structure, for example.
To advantage, certain of the rod elements of the new construction toy set are formed of a somewhat harder and more rigid material than the connector elements, although preferably with sufficient resilience and flexibility to bend if fallen upon during play, for example. Rods also may be provided in a softer, more easily bendable and flexible form to enable a significant degree of shaping of the rods during the assembly of structures with the set components.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, and to the accompanying drawings.